Alarm system for fire-escapes.



D.S1 BURKHART. ALARM SYSTEM Fos rmi EscAPEs. 1,171,088.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

D. S. BURKHART.

ALARM SYSTEM FOR FIRE ESCAPES. APPLlcATloN FILED MAR. 5'. 1.915.

.l l 7 1 ,088. Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ffl/3v Z5 A/ 26 Snom/WM DANIEL S. BURKHART, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

ALARM SYSTEM .FOR FIRE-ESCAPES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. s, 191e.

Application le. March 5, 1915. Serial No. 12,287.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known thatl, DANIEL S. BURKHART, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Viashington,have invented certain new and useful improvements in Alarm Systems forFire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in alarm and lighting system andhas to do more particularly with an improved system of this characterwhich is especially adapted for use in connection with that type of fireescape apparatus which is actuable or movable under the weight of auser, such for instance as that disclosed in my co-.pending applicationfiled December 12, 1914, No. 876,995.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a circuit, whichis complete in itself, and which is not only independent of any circuitin the interior of the building but which is also disposedoutside of thebuilding and preferably mounted upon the fire escape apparatus itself.

A further object is to equip or include in the circuit, certain bellsand electric lamps Vwhich are preferably disposed adjacent the buildingopenings or' doors or windows along which the fire escape mechanismvertically extends so that in the event that only one person may beapprised of the existence of a fire and mounts .the fire escapemechanism to descend, such bells and lamps will then be energized to notonly warn other occupants but also to indicate, in darkness the positionof the reescape mechanism.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more fully describedin connection with the accompanying drawings and will be moreparticularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a building shownprovided with the device of my invention applied to a fire escapemechanism constructed in accordance with my hereinbefore identifiedapplication, Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 isan enlarged fragmentary view of an improved gravity switch adapted to beactuated by the escape mechanism to close circuit when said mechanism isoperated, Fig. 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow shownin Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts indifferent positions, Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout thedifferent figures of the drawings'.

As illustrated, 1 designates the side of a building in which superposedbuilding openings such as windows 3 and 4, are provided. Adjacent thewindows I have shown platforms 3 and 4 to be used by occupants escapingthrough the windows prior to mounting the. escape mechanism. Saidmechanism, like my prior application, is embodied in the form of anendless mechanism or carrier 5 vand 6 having foot treads 7 suspended bypivots 8 and supporting lines 9. Suitable hand holds 10 are positionedin a manner to be grasped by the hands of thel user. The upper bights ofsaid carrier are shown trained *about` wheels 11 mounted.

upon` a shaftwhich is journaled in-bearings 12 and 13. The bearing 13may have incorporated therein a governor, for controlling the rate ofspeed of the fire escape mechanism, under-gravity action due to theweight Y of the user, such mechanism being exempliied for instance inthe 'device disclosed in my ycopending application filed December 12,1914, Serial No. 876,995.l The lower bights of the carriers 5 and 6 aretrained about wheels 14, mounted upon a shaft 15,

journaled in suitable` bearings 16. The frame work of the iire escapemechanism may include a pipe or conduit 17 for'containing the electricalywires 'comprising the circuit and also for supporting" exterior guidinglamps 18, .to vguide occupants in their. approach tothe lire escapemechanism vfrom the platforms 3 and 4. Alarm devices such aselectricbells v19,- are disposed interiorly of the building and theconduit 17 has branches 20 which extend through the wall of the building1 so as to protect the wires leading to the bell.

Referring to the circuit shown in Fig.l6,

i 21 designates a source of current which may be disposed in any desiredposition exteriorly of the building and to one pole of which isconnected a conductor 22 which is branched at 23, 24 and 25', forconnection with the bells 19.k The other pole of said source of currentis connected with a conductor 26, which latter is connected at 27 withone terminal of a circuit closing switch. A conductor 28 is shownconnected at 29 with the other terminal of the circuit closy ing switchand is also connected at 30, 31 and 32 with the bells 19 to completecircuit therewith. A manually operable switch 33, may be provided, asshown in Fig. 6, for the usual purpose. A conductor 34, is connected at35 with the same switch terminal that the conductor 28 s connected withand is also provided with branch connections 36, 37 and 38 with thelamps 18. The lamps 18am connected by conductors 39, 40 and 41 withconductor 22. A manually operable switch 42 may be interposed inconductor 34.

My improved circuit closing switch is mounted upon a bracket 43, ofconducting material, which in turn is secured to platform 4. The bracket43 is insulated from platform 4 by insulating material 44. A springterminal 45' is mounted upon a block of insulating material 46 and isconnected with conductor 26, at 27. A swinging switch arm 47 is mountedon the bracket 43, at 48, to swing about a fixed axis and switch arm 47is provided with a weight 49 which normallyr acts to swing said arm intoa circuit-closing position into engagement between the forked ends 50,of spring contact 45, after the switch arm has been thrown oif from asubstantially vertical position shown in F ig. 3. rlhe switch arm 4T isprovided with an insulated backing 5l vfor engagement with an actuatingmember 52, mounted upon shaft l5,V which latter is actuated by theescape mechanism. After the escape mechanism has been used it will beadjusted so that the revolving actuating member 52 will be disposed inthe position shown in F ig. 3. rlhe switch arm 47 will be adjusted offfrom a vertical dead center so that the' weight 49 will act to hold thearm 47 in the position shown in F ig. 3, against actuating member 52.immediately after a user has mounted the escape, its mechanism willbegin to rotate actuating member 52 and the latter will throw arm 47 offfrom a dead center position so that the weight 49 will carry said arminto electrical engagement with forked ends 50 so to close circuit andenergize the lamps and bells. These alarm devices will thereaftercontinuously operate until the switch arm 47 has been manually retractedout of Copies of this patent may be obtained for engagement with forkedends 50, irrespective as to whether or not the fire escape mechanism iscontinuously operated by subsequent users.

lt is believed that the advantages and utility of my invention will befully understood from the foregoing description, and while l have hereinshown and described one specific form of my invention, l do not wish tobe limitedthereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

l claim:

l. ln an alarm and lighting system lfor lire escapes, av lire escapemechanism comprising endless user supporting means, a circuit disposedalong said mechanism, alarm and lighting devices in said circuitdistributed along said mechanism, a circuit closing switch means forclosing said circuit, and a device rotated by said endless means foractuating said switch means to close said circuit, substantially asdescribed.

2. ln an alarm or protecting system for fire escapes, a fire escapemechanism movable under the weight of a user, an electric circuit,warning or protecting devices in said circuit and disposed along thebuilding area protected by said mechanism, a switch for closing saidcircuit including a gravity Vmovable weighted arm, and means rotatableupon movement of said mechanism for shifting said arm into a gravityacting position, substantially as described.

3. ln an alarm and lighting system for lire escapes, a lire escapemechanism movable under the weight of a user and extending verticallyalong and outside of a building to be protected, a conduit extendingalong said mechanism, a circuit comprising conductors disposed in saidconduit, electric lamps mounted on said conduit and connected with saidcircuit, bells connected with said circuit, and means operated by saidmechanism for. closing said circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses z Jnssn PAYNE, H. E. SMITH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents. Washington,D. C.

